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Whitch Version To Choose?

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Whitch Version To Choose?
I Was Wondering If I Think Might End Up With A Big Directory Would I Be Better Off Choosing Links Standard Version Or Links SQL???
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Re: Whitch Version To Choose? In reply to
How large do you expect your database to be?

If it is going to be larger than 1 MG than you would best purchase the SQL. While the number of links is not the major factor in terms of searching and maintenance, if you have more than 2,000 records/links, it is best to consider purchasing the SQL version.

Do you plan on adding in a lot of extra fields/data (such as Site Reviews, Detailed View, etc.)?

Then you should purchase the SQL version.

To give you an example, I have a medium size directory, which is growing quite large:

1) .75 MG
2) 2,000+ Records
3) A lot of added fields (for site reviews and awards)

I started with regular LINKS version. Now, the closer I near 1 MG, the more regretful I become that I did not wait to purchase SQL. While some people have indicated it has been an easy transfer to move from the ASCII format to SQL table format, I am dreading it.

Are you proficient in SQL programming?

If so, purchasing the SQL version is a wise choice.

Does your Internet Service Provider (ISP) have MSQL or ODBC installed on their server?

If yes, then purchasing the SQL version is a wise choice. If not, I would recommend switching to an ISP that does have these modules and applications installed.

For more information on the SQL version, you might want to post your concerns over at the LINKS SQL Forum and ask people about their experiences in terms of transferring from the regular version to the SQL version.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

------------------
Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

[This message has been edited by Eliot (edited August 06, 1999).]
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Re: Whitch Version To Choose? In reply to
I would take Alex's advice and start with links 2.0. Anything you do in links 2.0 with templates can be done in the SQL version -- except specific custom mods. (Makes sense, since the LinkSQL code is not the same as the Links 2.0 code -- but any mod you make to 2.0 should be able to be made in SQL)

If you limit yourself to modifying the templates, and only tweaking the rest of the code (I modified jump.cgi extensively and it was almost a plug-n-play substitution) you won't have problems.

I'm still running 2.0 as the main site, since it's really easy to import it into the SQL version, and I'm using the SQL version as my 'demo' system. Once I modify it all, I'll import the 2.0 database one last time, and just rename the directories.